The research proposal is designed to study the mechanisms responsible for alterations in the metabolism of glycosaminoglycans observed during hormonal imbalance. An attempt will be made to relate the effects of diabetes, hypothyroidism, pituitary deficiency, and excess glucocorticoids to specific enzymatic lesions. In addition, the influence of hormone imbalance on the synthesis of the region linking the carbodydrate and protein moieties of the chondroitinsulfate-protein complex of cartilage will be explored.